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A new climate update by World Meteorological Organization and UK Met Office has warned that the world overall temperature is moving in a dangerous direction and it is almost certain that 2022-2026 will see a warmest year on record though there is close to fifty-fifty chance (48 per cent) of breaching 1.5°C, though there is only a small chance (10 per cent) of the five-year mean exceeding this threshold. It brings the greatest concern for India and Pakistan in particular which are presently undergoing a drastic heatwave conditions. India has also been greatly suffering for years not only from heat but also from erratic weather conditions which are likely to worsen globally.

It is not the past glory revisiting Indian Real Estate with the sudden rise of price in almost all the segments. It is neither the upsurge of the demand nor the limited supply of inventories. Rather something unprecedented has taken place. It’s the huge rise in the construction cost of around a whooping increase about 30 percent in last one year. The situation has become graver in last 2-3 months due to high inflation resulting in double digit growth in whole sale price index due to rising price of crude oil, cement, steel, metals like copper and zinc, and other construction materials. Repercussions of Russia –Ukraine Conflict is now directly felt, at least in Indian Real Estate market. The main casualty would be Affordable and Mid-Income housing segment of India. The coveted dream of Government “Housing for All by 2022” seems hit a road block as the rising commodity costs and crude will not be a short-term affair.

Latin American politics is passing through exciting times in 2022. For the first time, there is a distinct possibility of a left wing candidate Gustavo Petro taking over as the new president of Columbia which is known in South America as the country of drug trafficking and violence. Elections are due on May 29 and the latest poll indications suggest Petro as the front runner much ahead against his conservative right wing rival.

Over the last year, multiple individuals and organizations moved the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), that is, the offence of sedition. The Union Government earlier today informed the Supreme Court that it had decided to re-examine and reconsider section 124A as part of an ongoing process of reviewing colonial laws, and requested the court to await the outcome of the reconsideration before it proceeds to decide on the validity of section 124A.

Indian tax authorities are planning to levy the highest 28% GST on crypto activities, various media reports said on Monday quoting unnamed sources. Right now, Indian crypto exchanges pay 18% GST as they are considered intermediaries providing financial services.

Film lovers in Europe and America observed on May 8the 116th birth anniversary of Roberto Rosselini, touted as one of the originators of the neorealist movement in post-war Italy of 1940s. His Rome, Open City was released in 1945, heralding the beginning ofa new movement in Italy pursued by a band of young directors Like Vittorio De Sica, Luchino Visconti and many others. This was the golden period of Italian film industry when the new films talked of common Italian people using a new cinematic language, distancing itself from the glamour-driven Hollywood films of those days.

Tamil Nadu chief minister M. K. Stalin completed one year in office on May 7. He has emerged out of the shadows of his famous father and late former chief minister M. Karunanidhi. After winning the state last year, Stalin now had to live up to the voters' expectations, as he assumed office when Tamil Nadu lacked charismatic leaders.

Russia’s war in Ukraine gives no signs of coming to an end even after two and half months of deaths and destruction. So far Russia couldn’t advance considerably inside Ukraine as it has expected, due to fierce resistance from the Ukrainians and strong Western support. The West is very concerned about Ukraine as it is situated at the doorstep of E.U and NATO, both of which has a vested interest in ensuring that the country’s sovereignty is maintained and that Russia’s aggression is curtailed. Having failed to achieve its objectives of a blitzkrieg victory in the early days of its invasion, Russian military now appears to be settling in for a much longer war, “a deliberate, cynical strategy to besiege Ukraine, cut them off, bomb them and starve them into submission” immediately.

Some people with their antics make you run to the dictionary. Like the Ranas, Navneet and Ravi Rana. They liked their stints in jail. They want to go right back to its precarious safety. Navneet Rana in Byculla jail for women, and Ravi Rana in Navi Mumbai’s Taloja correction unit. In fact, Ravi should thank his stars that he stepped out sporting his own skin. What if jailbirds there had mistaken him for gangster Ravi Pujari?

The Indian government’s anti-cryptocurrency policy which includes high taxation and denial of banking services has resulted in many top-tier crypto exchanges shutting shops in India and moving to the UAE, which is fast emerging as a hub of crypto business. The massive exodus of business and talents from the Indian cryptocurrency sector has put the government on the defensive, forcing it to come up with a nuanced response to the criticism.